huber



Feb. 21, 1956 R. 1 HUBER 2,735,430

HYPODERMIC SYRINGES Filed Nov. 19, 1954 INVENToR. Ralph L. Huber4deceased Jennie L. Huber amnisi'rarix TTOB/VEYS' HYPODERMIC SYRENGESRalph L. Huber, deceased, late et Seattle, Wash., by Jennie L. Huber,administratrix, Seattle, Wash.

Application November 19, 1954, Seria! No. 469,981

Claims. (Cl. 12S-218) This invention relates to hypodermic syringes andit has reference more particularly to syringes commonly referred to asone shot disposable syringes which are designed to be used only once andthen thrown away. In addition, it refers more specifically to one shotdisposable syringes which are loaded or filled by the syringemanufacturer or pharmaceutical house with the medicament to be injectedinto the patient.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a hypoderrnicsyringe wherein a simple and inexpensive means is provided forpreventing the medicament contained in the syringe from entering thebore of the hypodermic needle until immediately prior to theadministration of the medicament into the patient.

More specifically stated, the objects and advantages of the presentinvention reside in the provision of a simple and inexpensive meanswhereby the syringe may be loaded or filled with the medicament andstored for an indefinite period of time with the inner end of theneedle, which extends within the syringe barrel, sealed from themedicament so as to prevent crystallization of the medicament and theresulting plugging or restriction in the bore of the needle.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sealing means for theinner end of the hypodermic needle which may be quickly and easilyremoved to permit the injection of the medicament from the syringebarrel through the hypodermic needle.

It is another object of this invention to provide a sealing means forthe inner end of the needle which is readily removable incident to theinward movement of the syringe plunger against the contained medicamentand which is extremely inexpensive in cost and simple to assemble.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention reside in thedetails of constructions and manner of application of the needle sealingmeans and in the manner of its removal.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention,I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferredforms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view of a one shot disposable syringeembodying the improvements of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the removable means asembodied in a rubber stopple and enclosing and sealing the inner end ofthe needle.

Fig. 3 illustrates the sealing means removed from the inner end of theneedle and the needle extending beyond the stopple into the medicament.

Fig. 4 illustrates in enlarged sectional detail an alternativeconstruction of a syringe barrel wherein a vent is provided and analternative manner of mounting the needle sealing means within thestopple.

Fig. 5 illustrates still another alternative form of stopple in whichthe needle sealing means is contained.

j 2,735,430 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 Referring more in detail to thedrawings:

In its preferred form of construction, the syringe, designated in itsentirety by reference numeral 10, comprises a cylindrical barrel 11,preferably of transparent plastic, which is open at one end and closedat the other end by an integral endwall 12 through which a tubularhypodermic needle 13 is sealed to extend in the axial center line of thebarrel. As is illustrated in the drawings, the inner end portion 13a ofthe needle extends a substantial distance into the barrel chamber. Theneedle is of conventional type and is beveled to a sharpened point atits outer end and the needle is formed with an arcuate bend intermediateits ends, as at 13b, which is sealed in the endwall 12 to prevent anypossible slippage or rotation of the needle in the endwall. At that endof the barrel which is opposite the closed end, is a circular ange orcollar 14 which surrounds the barrel. This ange provides a iinger holdto be gripped by the administrator when injecting the medicament.

The outer end portion of the needle 13 is normally, prior to use,contained or enclosed within a hollow guard or sheath 15, the inner endportion of which is removably fitted about a boss or outward projection12a on the endwall 12 of the barrel. About the inner end of the sheathis an annularly projecting flange 16 and at the outer end of the sheathis a short threaded stern 17. When the guard or sheath is removed, it isemployed as is illustrated in Fig. 3, as a pusher or operating stem toeect inward movement of the piston stopple and this causes themedicament to be ejected from the barrel.

The medicament is confined within the barrel 11 between two movablydisposed stopples 20 and 21. The stopple 2t) is positioned near theforward end of the barrel, spaced from the endwall 12, and is formedwith a central, axial passage therethrough, as at 22, in which is fitteda bead 23. The bead, when in place, seals or closes the passage throughthe stopple. The stopple 21 serves as a medicament ejecting piston andis litted in the outer end of the barrel, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and3. Each of the stopples is of rubber or like material and the stopple 21has a threaded socket 24 open to its outer end. This threaded socket isadapted to receive the threaded stem 17 of the sheath 15 after thesheath has been removed from about the needle and when so assembled, theparts 15 and 21 serve as a plunger for ejection of the medicamentthrough the needle.

The essence of this invention resides in the provision of the stopple 20in which comprises removably mounted the bead 23 which seals off theinner end 13a of the needle 13 from the medicament. The axial passage 22through the stopple 20 is of such size as to readily receive the bead 23and to releasably retain the bead in fixed position and in a liquidtight fit. It is preferable that the stopple 20 be of relatively soft,resilient materials so that it may be readily moved and the beadreleased.

The bead may be of any desired or required size and shape and as isclearly indicated in Fig. 2, it has an axial bore 23a which extends onlya portion of the way through it. The size of the bore is such that theinner end of the needle is freely received thereinto and with clearancethereabout.

When it is desired to administer the medicament, the bead may be easily,and quickly displaced from the inner end of the needle in the followingmanner.

The guard or sheath 1S is taken from about the needle and its shank 17is threaded into the socket 24 of the stopple 21, Then, by slightforward movement of the stopple 21, a pressure will be exerted throughthe medicament upon the stopple 20 so as to move it toward the closedend of the barrel as is noted in Fig. 3. This forward movement of thestopple will release its hold upon the bead and so displace it that byan upward inclination of the syringe, the bead will lreadily fall or bedisplaced from about the inner end of the needle. -When so removed fromthe stopple, the bead 23 is free in the barrel and may serve as anagitator to thoroughly dissolveand mix the medicament prior'toinjection. Once the bead has been removed, the needle is injected intothe patient and the administrator may then apply additional pressure onthe stem 15 and cause the stopple 21 to be moved inwardly into thebarrel and cause the ejection of the medicament through the hypodermicneedle into the patient.

Iny Figs. 4 and 5, I have illustrated slightly modiiied forms ofconstruction. In these gures, common parts are designated by commonreference numerals.

In Fig. 4, the end wall 12 of the barrel has a port or passage 12bformed therethrough from the exterior of the barrel to the interior. Thepurpose of this passage is to permit the escapernent of air which iscompressed by the forward movement of the stopple. In this alternativeconstruction, the stopple is designated 30 and has a forward end wallsurface 31 and a rearward wall surface 32. The stopple is formed with anaxial passage 33 which is of two diameters. At the forward wall surface31, the passage is of relatively small diameter so that the needleprojecting therethrough will be gripped or engaged in a sealingengagement by the stopple. The bead 34 is inserted through the openingin the wall surface 32 and the passage at this end is of substantiallygreater diameter. The purpose of this construction is to seal thestopple about the needle as well as about the bead which is lodgedwithin the bead recess 35. When provided with the port 12b,contaminating air could and would be permitted to enter the barrel andcontaminate the inner end of the needle if the inner end of the needlewere not sealed as herein illustrated and described.

In this construction, the bead is removed from the needle insubstantially the same manner as previously described. A pressure isapplied against the stopple 21 and medicament which, in turn, will forcethe stopple 30 forward and cause the displacement of the bead therefromlinto the medicament. The air vent 12b permits the air to escape fromthe area between the stopple wall 31 and the endwall 12 of the barrel sothat there is no entrapped or compressed air to restrain the forwardmovement of the stopple.

The alternative construction illustrated in Fig. merely shows a stopple40 wherein there are coaxial conical recesses 41 and 42 in its oppositefaces which reduce the area in the stopple passage which engages andretains the bead in position. This construction permits the bead to bemore readily assembled in the stopple and it also permits the bead to bemore readily removed from engagement or retention with the stopple. Ifdesired, a similar result could be obtained by merely reducing thethickness of the stopple so that it would engage only a portion of thebead as herein illustrated.

The several constructions herein illustrated and de- 4 scribed alsoprovide the additional advantage that a syringe employing a stopple suchas illustrated Yin Fig. 1 will permit aspiration prior to the injectionof the medicament. This would be accomplished by an outward movement ofthe stopple 21 so as to cause a decreased pressure in the area 18 whichlies between the stopple 20 and the endwall 12 of the barrel. After theadministrator has aspirated to determine that the needle is injected inthe proper location, he may then proceed to remove or displace the beadfrom the stopple in the manner hereinbefore described.

While there are above disclosed, several alternative embodiments of myinvention, it is believed to be readily apparent that it is possible toproduce still additional alternative constructions without departingfrom the inventive concept herein disclosed. It is desired, therefore,that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as arestated therein, or as may be required by the prior art. The inventionresides in the provision of means for sealing the inner end of theneedle in a manner which may be readily removed at the time it isdesired to eject the medicament from the syringe.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A hypodermic syringe of the character described comprising a barrelformed with a. closing end Wall at one end, a hypodermic needle sealedthrough said end wall with the inner end of the needle extending intothe barrel, a bead stopple disposed in the barrel adjacent the inner endof the needle, an axial passage through the'bead stopple, a beadremovably secured in the passage and said bead having a bore thereinadapted to receive the inner end of the needle.

2. A hypodermie syringe as in claim l wherein a piston stopple isremovably disposed in the outer end of the barrel and adapted to exertpressure upon the bead stopple to cause forward movement thereof fordisengagement from the bead.

3. A hypodermic syringe as in claim 1 wherein the bead stopple has acoaxial conical recess on its opposite end surfaces.

4. A hypodermic syringe as in claim 1 wherein the passage in the beadstopple is of two diameters and the bead is disposed in the portion oflarger diameter.

5. A hypodermic syringe as in claim 1 wherein the end wall of thesyringe has a port therethrough and the bead stopple sealingly engagesthe needle forwardly of the bead.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,143,855 Park Iune 22, 1915 2,132,763 Smith Oct. 11, 1938 FOREIGNPATENTS 282,622 Germany Mar. 11, 1915

